Dr. Joe Texts!!

My old pal Dr. Joe sent me a text and said he is patiently waiting for a new blog.  I thought only #1 did that.  In any case, I’m sure Dr. Joe is trying to work me.  Maybe he needs a loan. I don’t think being a professor of medicine at a major university pays very well.

He said he’ll be doing a little traveling to see family for the holiday.  He’ll make a stop in Richmond to see our bud Wig. I asked him which of Wig’s several Richmond mansions he’ll be visiting. Dr. Joe will be out here on February 1 for some work with Gilead. I’m hoping he sticks around a day so we can celebrate Groundhog’s Day like we used to in Binghamton.

By now many of you have received the Xmas letter and are overjoyed that it is quickly followed up by a blog post. There are still a few to go out, but I've never heard of some of these people, so I’ll let my wife finish up. The Belgian’s wife sends theirs out via email, so I think we need to emulate them starting in 2024.

We had a big fun weekend in Sonoma this past week.  The Exec turned 70, and he looks every bit of it. I kid. Actually, he looks fit as a fiddle, due to his pickleball obsession. I was, however, thrown by the cowboy boots he was wearing. A pair of Gucci loafers would have been more in line with his fashion sense.

We were treated to a fine meal at Piacere in Cloverdale. The Exec got a little misty during his speech, but that’s what happens when you are in the embrace of friends and family. We went to his house for dessert, and the FC gang was the last to leave. TCG made the 10-minute drive back to the hotel in 20 minutes, where we got a wakeup call the next morning thanks to Katie setting off the car alarm. After a solid breakfast at Zini’s we headed back to the peninsula. 

TCG and the numbers will be working on installing a large chandelier today that #1 designed and built, which is just in time for the village Christmas Eve celebration.  The numbers hijacked my ladder for the job.  This is the ladder that #2 gave me, so I ain’t complainin’. They specifically told me to stay the hell away from #1’s house today.  I not only lack any semblance of construction skills, but I can also cast a pall on any sort of gathering.

Speaking of TCG, he’s flying solo this week, so I felt a little sorry for him and invited him over for dinner last night.  Though he overstayed his welcome, we had a fine time. I cooked up this recipe, which is super simple. If you can chop, measure and throw things in a pot, you can pull it off.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021696-slow-cooker-chicken-cacciatore-with-mushrooms-and-bacon

As I mentioned in my Xmas letter, we had a memorial plaque for SB2 installed on a bench at the new levee. My wife was walking there Friday and noticed it was gone. We were fuming, wondering what reprobate would consider taking it. Fortunately, we found out Monday that they had replaced the bench and missed the plaque. How the hell they did that, I don’t know. In any case they found it, and it was back in place when the numbers and I walked up there on Monday. We have a big get together planned there next week.

Tommy Cutlets did not come through for me last week, so I tried to be a tad more judicious in my week 16 picks. I remain in 7th place and hope to move up this weekend. The whole family, including SB1’s in-laws, will be watching the Niners vs. Ravens here on Christmas day. Here’s the week 16 picks. Happy Festivus to all.

LAR Cin Buf Ind GB Cle Det NYJ Sea TB AZ Dal Den KC Phi SF